A key strategy in WorldSkills’ 2020 Vision was realised with the launch of the WorldSkills Foundation in Madrid, Spain on 4 April 2011. The Foundation’s purpose is to complement the WorldSkills Competition with a program of research, advocacy and education activities. In this way, the Foundation aims to achieve its shared mission with WorldSkills International to promote skills across the world.

WSI Communications and Marketing Director, Michelle Bussey caught up with Jack Dusseldorp, WSI President, and inaugural Chairman of the Foundation, to ask some questions;

Michelle: Hi Jack. How does the Foundation’s vision and mission differ from that of WorldSkills International?

Jack: Hi Michelle. Well that’s an easy one to answer, as both bodies share exactly the same vision and mission. The difference is in how each sets about achieving their common objectives.

Can you expand on that please.

Well, WSI is a member organisation – now 54 countries/regions strong – and it’s key strategy is organizing the WorldSkills International Competition, hosted by a different Members every two years. The Foundation (WSF) while also being a legal entity, is really better understood as a diversity of ideas, projects and activities, supported by its Global Partners, outside the scope of the Competition.

What is an example of such an idea or project?

At the first Foundation meeting in Madrid, we agreed to support our Finnish Member’s initiative to conduct research with its past international Competitors to better understand what goes on in achieving a high performance result at a WorldSkills Competition. This research will now be expanded to cover all Member teams in London to create a creditable research base for our membership to both promote the benefits of participating in a WorldSkills Competition, as well as giving them insights as to how to raise performance standards in vocational education and training.

Oh, that. That’s the MoVE, or Modelling Vocational Excellence, project led by Dr Petri Nokelainen. Isn’t that really a WSI initiative rather than an Foundation project?

Exactly. It’s a project initiated by one of our Members and supported by two or three more; and now the Foundation is able to resource it to the point where all of our Members can benefit from it. Up till now it wouldn’t have been possible to fund such research from Members’ fees as their own budgets are restricted to supporting their participation in the Competition.

Are there other projects, such as the Youth Forum, which are currently handled by WSI that will become Foundation projects?

I think the easiest way to see what separates WSI projects from WSF ones is to follow the money trail. There are so many worthwhile ideas and projects to pursue in the grand scheme of things, but what can our Members truly justify in allocating their scarce resources? Certainly recognizing and motivating their past Competitors through the Youth Forum is more than justifiable, so that clearly remains a WSI project initiative. But many research and educational ideas to promote skills across the world fall outside our Members’ budgetary mandates.

Yet there are some great ideas being promoted by our Members which do fall outside running Competitions. I’m thinking of Singapore’s offer to past Competitors to take up a one year paid “Associate Teacher” position in their ITE Colleges for example.

You’re absolutely right. And this is where the Foundation can help market this idea, not only for Singapore, but also in other countries where we know our young skilled champions would love to have a further education and work experience opportunities. Remember we tried to get that going through the WSI Youth Exchange project which was suggested by an earlier Youth Forum, but it simply didn’t have sufficient resources behind it to succeed.

So in other words, there are a whole range of initiatives the Foundation could facilitate involving one or more of our Members which sit outside the scope of the Competition itself.

That about sums it up. So one of the first initiatives of the Foundation will be to ask Members what some of those ideas or projects might be and then test those ideas for which ones have the most likely chance of success and also their likely leverage in creating further success, like pebbles which create the biggest ripples in a pond.

How will the Foundation actually operate? Will it have its own office and staff and so forth?

Out of necessity we’ve learned to be pretty ‘lean’ in WorldSkills as far as staffing and overheads are concerned, so it will be no different with the Foundation. We are lucky to have the Ministry of Education in Spain as a co-founding partner, so they’ll be providing a part time secretary and also meeting facilities as we need them. But of course, like WSI, the Foundation will be a virtual operation with its own web presence, and making the best use of the latest info technology and social media outlets.

When will the Foundation website be launched?

We are aiming for early July, and using that to launch our search for great ideas and projects to present in London.

What about if someone has a great idea right now? How will you handle it?

I’d ask that person to hold their horse, and get ready for July where there will be an online opportunity to log their idea with the Foundation. In the meantime, nothing stops anyone from responding on this blog.

Before we wrap this up, how do you see the Foundation in 5 years time? And when will you know that its really successful?

In 5 years time the Foundation will have many more than it’s initial four Founding Global Partners. This will be testimony to its success, because partners will only be attracted to the Foundation if they consider its actually making a difference. Michelle, I think I’d like to close with a quotation from Mr Reinhardt Mohn, who was the founder of the Bertelsmann Foundation, one of the biggest and best in Europe.

Foundations embody an opportunity for social progress. They can debate and experiment with new approaches. It is, however, not enough to attempt to do this purely through public relations – foundations must prove what they can do. Foundations must show that they are pioneers, capable of identifying new approaches.

For more information please read the Board communiqué from the inaugural WorldSkills Foundation Board meeting.

A second group of Finns who participated in a Leonardo expert exchange “Learning from each other” to England was hosted by UK Skills. The group was headed by ﻿﻿the author of this post and it included electrical installation skill manager Jorma Kärkkäinen (Ylä-Savo Vocational College), cleaning services skill manager Tiina Joensuu (Keuda Vocational College), docent Petri Nokelainen (Actualising Vocational Excellence and Modelling Vocational Excellence research programmes at the University of Tampere) and training manager Hilkka Tuominiemi (AEL).

Charged atmosphere at national WorldSkills tryouts

Our group was welcomed to Coventry by Jenny Shackleton, head of international competition at UK Skills, and her staff.

We had dinner together and enjoyed lively and fruitful conversation. The atmosphere was charged because of the upcoming WorldSkills London 2011 tryouts: the hotel was housing 35 Experts and other UK Skills competition officials for the duration of the UK squad selection event for World Skills London 2011.

In the week ahead, some 300 youths would be competing for a place at the subsequent final national squad selection event, which will be held in June 2011. The Competitors were housed at another hotel in an effort to replicate the ambiance of the actual WorldSkills Competition as closely as possible. Our hotel served as the event’s conference centre for four days, while the squad selection competition itself took place at two nearby colleges.

Several different educational institutions participate in Skills activities in the UK, but only a handful of them are vocational excellence training units, and the two we visited in the Midlands are the finest of the lot. The first of these was the fantastic, light-filled Stephenson College. Led by Principal Nigel Leigh, the college has focused on pedagogically enhanced learning environments and energy-saving innovations. The second was Hinckley College, which has around 20,000 students and is rated as outstanding by Ofsted. Marion Plant is the Principal at Hinckley.

The principals were kept busy by the media, six mayors and other guests who attended the opening day of the national squad selection event. French Competitors and Experts participated as guests in the tryouts. Finnish flags were flying at the competition grounds and the information displays told us that Skills officials from both France and Finland were participating at the squad selection event.

These two colleges, Stephenson and Hinckley, cooperate closely and both principals are pioneers and developers of vocational excellence training activities. The Finnish Experts observed the Skills competitions in welding, electrical installation, plumbing, hairdressing, caring, cabinetmaking, confectionery and landscape gardening while Skills Finland project manager Leena-Maija Talikka and researcher, docent Petri Nokelainen participated in a cooperation development seminar, where they agreed on a joint research project and made arrangements for a reciprocal visit to Finland’s national squad selection event by Skills UK and Oxford University researcher Susan James.

What did we learn?

We received a thorough familiarisation in the competition activities and objectives of UK Skills from Eugene Incerti.

Neil Collishaw of Sector Skills Council/ UK Summit versed us in vocational degree development efforts. In the UK, companies participate in training to a very great extent.

We became more aware of how the strong role played by apprenticeships is based on the committed cooperation of all involved parties: educational institutions, the Sector Skills Council and companies.

We compared the differences and similarities of the new UK degree framework and the Finnish vocational degree modernisation. According to Peter Wilson from UK Skills, there are now no less than 6,500 different degrees available in the UK! Jez Anderson of UK Skills presented the training for vocational excellence degree, which is currently being piloted at three colleges.

What did we bring to the table?

Oxford University researchers Susan James and Cathy Stasz were interested to hear about Petri’s MoVE and AVE studies. His excellent presentation received applause and arrangements were made to continue our fruitful research cooperation.

We agreed to continue our cooperation on the development of Skills training with a meeting to be held at the next EuroSkills competition as well as with a reciprocal visit by UK delegates to the next Taitaja Finnish national skill competition in Kuopio.

We considered a joint project to promote a vocational excellence degree or degree component as an EU-level collaboration.

As millions of people are glued to their television sets and computers watching and listening to the latest developments in Japan, we are thinking of our friends and colleagues. The pictures cannot portray the true magnitude of the devastation and hardship that the Japanese have gone through in the last week. Yet, we see over and over the Japanese spirit coming through on news broadcasts, reports and from messages from our colleagues. We see Experts communicating with their Japanese counterparts and the return message is always the same, they are filled with hope, endurance, resilience and strength.

In times like these, it is important to band together and stand strong to show our support for Japan. WorldSkills is a family with 54 Members; we help and support each other while building integral bonds for a lifetime. We have all experienced the warm Japanese hospitality, the never ending politeness and respect, the overwhelming ability to do any job regardless of the challenges and the memorable offers of friendship. WorldSkills wants Japan to know that we are with you in spirit. We are anxiously watching all the developments and are eager to see Japan rise again. We honour all your heroes and mourn your losses.

Our hearts, thoughts and prayers are with you, Japan and especially our friends and colleagues and their friends and families. Stay strong and know that the whole WorldSkills family is here for you and thinking of you.

Jack Dusseldorp
President

We want to share with you some of the messages of hope as they continue to roll in on our discussion forums from all corners of the globe. Experts seeking information on their friends and offering any kind of support they can.

You can read these messages below and please add your own in the comments.

We are very sorry about the earthquake and tsunami in Japan today.
We pray you’re and your family are okay and also your translator.
That’s kind of disaster also happened in my country and we lost hundred thousand people.

Indra Adji Sulistijono
Expert of Mobile Robotics

I join Indra to give my solidarity to you and the japanese people. I´m following the news about the disaster and I am very shocked with the scenes on tv.

I believe the Japanese people are able to be greater than this tragedy.

Paulo

I wish, hope and believe,
Japanese people can do the best rescue and the most fast reconstruction for the people of this tragedy.

Tsung

Tsutomu,

I hope all is well with you and your loved ones.

We are deeply sorry for what happened in Japan.

Where in Japan do you live?

Bayard

Hi Tsutomu, I’m Priscilla from Jamaica. I share with Bayard in conveying my sympathy to the families of your countrymen who died and have been misplaced as a result of the devastating earthquake. I hope you are safe and that of your family and friends. Jamaica sends its love.

Priscilla

Our thoughts are with you from all involved with not only hairdressing but all trades

Rob

Hi Tsutamu, hope you are safe, thinking of you Siobhan

Hi Tsutomu,
I’m Isabel from Spain.
I’m very shocked with what happened in your Country.
I hope you and yours are well.
Kind Regards,
Isabel

Dear Mr. Takeo Hayaki, good Night.

We brasilian we very affected and sad with the “Tsunami” and we know the Japan have very force to reset. We hope very force to Japan.
A big hug.

Sincerely

Isaias Gouveia Silva

Hi MR EJP

Thank you for taking care of us. We, including translator are safe from the disaster.
We were working in the central part of Japan. Therefore, impact from the earthquake was small.
Fortunately, our area is almost no problem except feeling just some degree of shaking at that time.
It was continuous long frequency (1 to 2 Hz) lateral vibration for about two minute long.
The east part of Japan received big damage by the earthquake and the tsunami.
And, a lot of people died and a lot of people missing.
There are a lot of sadness. However, the people in all over the world is supporting us, then we believe that Japan will revive soon.
We are very thankful again to you and all people giving support for us.

Dear Grant, Dear Kenji san, Dear Seiji san and your family

With great concern and thinking of you and your relatives, my family and I have kept informed of the events after the terrible earthquake that has devastated your island.

I hope you have not been too affected, and be sure, dear Grant, dear Kenji san, dear Seiji, that you have all our affectionate thoughts.

I know we are far apart but if there is anything I can, don’t hesitate to tell me.

I am late in writing to you Grant and I apologize.

All my thoughts to you.
Lionel

Dear Masahiro,
my deepest sympathy to you and all Japanese people concerning this disaster. Unfortunately the tragedy gets worse and nobody knows at the moment how the disaster will end.

My best wishes, Ulrich

Dear Experts,
Deeply mourn for the Japanese people who suffer from catastrophic earthquake and tsunami. Sending my most sincere condolences.

Most sincerely yours,
Daniel, Chi-Chia Liu

My friends,

I just want to leave too a few words of hope and encouragement for the Japanese people.
I’m sure that you and your and Japan will come over it.
A country with unforgettable, strong and birth people that welcomed us so well.

I ask you please to reply to us, especially to Expert and Translator from Japan, so that we have the guarantee that all is alright with you.

My deep condolences.

Dário Pinto

Although Japan is so far away from Montréal, Canada, to me it feels like it is right next to my heart for having the opportunity of visiting this beautiful country and meet so many new friends. My deepest sympathies goes to all those who are suffering the loss of relatives and friends in this historical catastrophe.

Robert Viau

Today my little track all the information given on the disaster in Japan. I really sympathize and admire the people here. They are really worth all our respect. Wish you all the tragic loss here seems to return quickly through the peaceful people of Japan

Tran Cong Hung VN

Hello everyone
First, my prayers to Mitsuru Shioya, family and the people of Japan. May they cope well and persevere in this difficult time.

WieTiong, Hie

I am grateful for the enquiries of concerns received from our friends over the globe.

The area I live is about 500km away from the epicenter and escaped with almost no physical damage. But my saloon still shook violently when the quake hit.

Right now the troubles at electricity generation plants caused by the quake are disrupting our everyday life, trains stop; even the traffic lights will not function. Because of the power outage I can only open my saloon a few hours a day.

As of now over 15000 people are thought to have perished in this quake and tsunami. Those of us survived and still now live in Japan must remain calm and orderly, for the sake of those that lost their lives in this quake disaster.

Lastly I look forward to seeing you all at the 41th World Skills London 2011. I would like to thank sincerely again our expert friends in the world for your concerns for us.

Tsutomu Usami, Expert & Representative of Japan

Hello Tsutomu

So pleased to hear that you are ok following the tragic disasters in your country. I had heard from our interpreter from WS Japan 2007 how bad the situation is even for those not in the affected areas with regards to power, lack of food in supermarkets and petrol rationing (He lives in Tokyo)

I sincerely hope that you and your country can return to normality soon but am sure it will take sometime.

If there is anything we can do to help please ask.

Rob

Thank you very much for your kind mail.
This is the biggest earthquake that I have experienced.
Our staff in Tokyo are safe.
Materials and book fried out.
Thank you for your hearty mail again.
katsutoshi Tsukamoto

Hi Katsutoshi,

Just hearing the news of the earthquake and tsunami that has hit this afternoon. I hope that you, your family/friends and colleagues are all fine.

WSI is thinking of you all
Jane

Hello Takeshi,

I hope you and your family are safe and well, the destruction we have seen on the news has been heartbreaking.

Regards,
John Cox

Thanks John,

Most of us in Tokyo are doing OK but we are worried about parents of my wife in Fukushima, where we have been having horrible disaster.

Trains for that direction are being out of service and phone lines are always busy. So we can’t reach them.

We will figure this out.

Regards,
Takeshi

Hello Kath,

Thank you and good hear from you.

The situation is getting a bit worse and more confused but we could reach the parents of my wife last night.

At lease, everyone I know in the earthquake areas is doing all right so far.

All the trains in our areas are out of service for all day long today and we have no idea what’s gonna happen tomorrow.

But I believe that we can cope with this situation and should not forget to smile.

The 48th National Skills Competition and the 32nd Abilympics took place in Kanagawa prefecture, Japan, 15th – 25th October 2010. 150,000 was the cumulative number of people including Competitors who visited both events. It was about 1.5 times more than the organiser had expected.

Many coaches assigned to their competition team stated that they regarded the National Skills Competition as good opportunities for skills transfer and vocational education for young people in spite of the competition results. In addition to that, this event triggered the knowledge sharing between various enterprises as well.

-Business & Technology Daily News

1,028 Competitors in 39 skill areas across Japanese prefectures participated in the National Skills Competition, which also lead to the final heat of many categories to choose who will represent Japan in WorldSkills London 2011.

-Sankei Shinbun

In the manufacturing and fabricating categories, Competitors from Kanagawa prefecture won four gold medals and those from the Aichi prefecture including Toyota and Denso employees showed a better performance than before.

We, Mono Zukuri Vocational Research Institute LLP in Japan, have picked some quotes from the winners at the Closing Ceremony.

‘I cannot imagine winning the gold medal because I was not sure if my efforts made it.’

‘My mother is the first person who I want to show my appreciation, who has supported me through tough times.’

‘I have done all I can do during training.’

‘I am very happy now but this is just a step forward. I will start preparation for winning at WorldSkills London 2011.’

‘I had the self confidence to do well because I believed in the advice my coaches gave me.’

Some Competitors can get the chance to be a member of the Japanese team going to London. These young people look forward to competing at ExCeL, London with their peers coming from all over the world.

Everyone who gave their best efforts at the National Skills Competition, even if they cannot go to the WorldSkills Competition, has gained irreplaceable experiences.

Please enjoy the photos we took as official media of the National Skills Competition:

The first Leonardo-expert group from Finland participating in the European Commission’s Lifelong Learning Programme, headed to the next host organisation; LVH Verband, in South Tyrol, Italy. It is a non-profit union of handcraft enterprises who organise national skills competitions and is responsible for training and sending Competitors to EuroSkills and WorldSkills Competitions.

The expert group consisted of; Skills Finland National Competition Manager Pekka Matikainen, Beauty Therapy Skill Manager Tea Lehtikevari, Metal Roofing Skill Manager Jari Mustikkamaa and Executive Director Tuomas Eerola from the Skills Trainers’ Academy. During the visit, the group had a chance to observe the education, training and skills competition system in the region as well as the business life surrounding it. They also had the opportunity to learn about the activities and structure of the organisation LVH Verband.

Vocational Education and Training (VET) is very highly valued in Italy and approximately 60% of students enrol in VET (when the average percentage in OECD countries is 40%). Although team South Tyrol doesn´t have many Competitors in skills competitions, it still manages to be on the same level as bigger countries/regions year after year. The range of medals is impressive evidence of South Tyrol´s power. The secret of success lies behind South Tyrol´s business life, which is comprised of small handcraft enterprises. Many Competitors are from family businesses where they have invested time in manual skills training. Long training periods are not even organised before the international competitions because the basis is so strong. The focus is on traditional craft trades as well as the achieved triumphs have a great commercial value for the enterprises where the victorious Competitors have worked.

The visitors and the hosts had a real opportunity to exchange and discuss the similarities and differences during the week. Probably the most striking difference between Finland and South Tyrol is that Skills Finland´s target is to support those skills which have not gained victories in recent competitions through participation in the competitions. The focus is spreading the quality in VET throughout the country. South Tyrol focuses on Competitors who have realistic possibilities of success in the competitions.

The goal of the project and the visit is to learn from each other – and that target has been achieved. At EuroSkills 2010 in Lisbon, Portugal we met with Mirko Cutri from LVH Verband and invitations to participate in each other´s national competitions were exchanged. Both the parties gained new ideas during the exchange period as we look towards WorldSkills London 2011!

Finland´s group members´greetings:

“The exchange period was very versatile and fruitful. Our group members were extremely satisfied with the trip as an experience and as a possibility to improve the occupational skills. LVH Verband and especially our host Thomas Pardeller´s hospitality made us feel very welcome. We warmly recommend this kind of an experience to everyone.”

The Leonardo da Vinci Programme is a part in the Lifelong Learning Program. It funds practical projects in the field of vocational education and training. Initiatives range from individual work-related training abroad to large-scale co-operation efforts.

Exchange of best practice in training for international skills competitions

The integration of these best practices in our national VET systems

The possible scope for the development of qualifications

Exploration of a research project between our two organisations

Role of working environments in the development of high performance competitors

The aim of the project is also to compare and gain expertise on our VET systems and to share good practice on the training of competitors towards excellence in international skill competitions.

It is also interesting to see if and how the training is recognised in the VET Qualifications or if it is organised outside the VET system. We will compare the roles of trainers, experts and the skill managers/training managers. The participants will learn new ways of thinking and new cultural approaches and increase critical thinking, problem solving and creative thinking. Such skills as are essential for both trainers and competitors.

The result expected is to build a sustainable network of research and pragmatic cooperation in order to strengthen performance of excellence: by peer coaching, tutoring, mentoring and mental training.

The participants are representing the skill areas at the WorldSkills Competition and WorldSkills Europe and trains, both skill managers, training managers , mental trainers and researchers in performance of excellence. There are also participants from the Skills Finland organisation and its stakeholders.

The first groups have been on the way and the outcomes will be soon available.

The WorldSkills International (WSI) General Assembly in Kingston, Jamaica, marked many milestones for WSI – the election of your new President and Board of Directors. The induction of the world’s most populous nation into your membership (China became WSI’s 53rd Member country/region), and the presentation and ratification of a new 10 year plan.

There is a strong emotional connection to this organisation that is felt by many thousands of people the world over.

Those of us who have caught the ‘WorldSkills bug’ come back time and again, putting personal and professional lives on hold for what could be several weeks at a time, in service to this great organisation and its development of tomorrows’ youth.

I’ve recently been reading a book called Switch, about dealing with change. It’s given me great context for my current work and I thought it would also be helpful for what I’d like to say in this post.

The authors talk about the two independent parts of the brain – one that controls our emotions and the other that controls the rational and conscious mind. They compare this to a rider on top of an elephant – the rider being our rational side, directing the elephant – which is our emotional side. The two are equally important, but one clearly can outweigh the other.

WorldSkills is a very big elephant: emotional and stubborn and the Members are its riders, rationally deciding how to direct it so that it goes where we think it should go. Changing its direction is an almighty task. But just look at how far you’ve come!

There were 12 Competitors in Restaurant Service back in 1993 in Chinese Taipei when I was first an Expert. The Competitors were judged by 8 Experts standing in a line and observing. That was how we did things in those days and it was as good as it could be. Fast forward to today and this is what Restaurant Service now looks like; at WorldSkills Calgary 2009 there were 25 Competitors and 25 Experts!

Just imagine what the sheer increase in scale means to the management of such an event. Back then we had less than 400 Competitors and 600 Experts and volunteers. Today there are almost 1000 Competitors and 3000 volunteers.

Back then we had to make do with whatever equipment we could get our hands on, working with our Experts and, if we were lucky, a shop steward – usually shared between all the hospitality trades (which is what we called them back then).

There were no emails, no website, no means of communication in between Competitions, and worse, few rules. There was also a lot of unfairness and total lack of transparency. Today the equipment is state-of-the-art, tools are cutting-edge and communication systems are second-to-none.

As a Technical Delegate and Jury President for the Hospitality Trades in St Gallen (1997), Montreal (1999)and Seoul (2001), I was able to experience first-hand the way in which the WorldSkills Competition was executed.

And then, as they say be careful what you wish for, I was appointed Quality Auditor soon after which resulted in the delivery of a report after each of the next four Competitions.

Back then there was no collaboration between the Secretariat and the membership. Today that is a given. There were no key performance indicators. Today there are many. There were many poorly run skill competitions – in my first report, 8 skills out of 40 needed significant improvements and 2 were totally unacceptable. Today that would not be allowed to happen.

This elephant has definitely changed direction for the better.

It’s amazing how well the new ways of working quickly become taken for granted. We rapidly forget the pain of change. From Competition to Competition significant qualitative improvements are made but we know that perfection is an ever receding goal, and therefore more improvements are needed and will come.

In my professional role at Four Seasons, quality and perfection are our obsessions. We rigorously measure ourselves against our competitors and against our own standards. The luxury hospitality market is now crowded with newcomers only too willing to take our place.

Until fairly recently we were a family owned and operated organisation, relying on leaders who had grown up with the company and processes that had always been in place. Over the last 2 years though, as we were going through the worst recession ever seen in our industry, we came face-to-face with some startling realities.

As a result we set out on a course of evolution that would fundamentally change how we operate our hotels and the corporation.

We all feared a loss of quality, a loss of control, a loss of what made the company great to begin with and of what the true essence of the organisation is. But if any organisation is to survive, it needs to grow.

We’ve recognised the power of the elephant, and of the rider, and tried to win hearts and minds. We’ve looked for and found bright spots. We’ve become solution focused vs. problem focused. We know that clarity dissolves resistance and that to change, new habits must be formed

There are parallels for WSI in this story – success will depend on our ability:

To evolve

To keep pace with society and the vocational marketplace

To rigorously question the way in which we do things

To seek new ways of being, rather than doing more of what you have always done

To determine whether or not we keep talking to each other and debating the issues

To understand that resistance to new ideas is a normal and healthy part of any change process, and not being put off by that

I’ve always enjoyed working with my hands and creating something where there was nothing. To have a tangible piece of work which was mine. When I was still at school I liked the challenge of trying new methods and tools to develop and change my “work” – it was just a hobby, mucking around, but I loved it.

This passion grew within me up until my last two years in high school where I got the opportunity to attend vocational training classes in my field. It was new and exciting to be finally learning in a more structured way about something I had been interested in all my life and know that this is where I wanted to be.

It was a challenge to see my friends off to university and many of them thought I was wasting my time in pursuing skills. But I decided to follow my dream and enrolled in a vocational school.

Nothing beats doing something you love. I enjoyed every bit of it. It’s so much fun learning a new skill and meeting people who love it too.

I started to look for opportunities to advance my skills.

My friend entered the local competition; I was intrigued by the process and made up my mind that I would participate next time around. With the encouragement of my teachers, friends and family I got myself ready for the National Skills Competition.

The competition was intense; lights, cameras, lots of people – there was a lot happening. It was hard work but it paid off.

The closing ceremony was a nerve racking experience for me, I was so anxious to hear the results.

I got the gold medal! The feeling was awesome. There was also an award for top competitor in my skill which I also won. I can still see myself running onto the stage … I will never forget that moment.

Highlights of the competition aired on national television. Everyone started talking about it. That was my first taste of fame and it felt good.

But it didn’t stop there. Now I was one of the few people selected to go to the WorldSkills Competition, half a world away. I had to train like never before. With the support of everyone around, I threw myself into training as hard as possible for my world debut.

The WorldSkills Competition was like living a dream, I felt like a celebrity dressed in my uniform, walking across stage with flags waving wildly. With four days of competition it was tiring, challenging and extreme. I worked harder than ever and just hoped that my personal best was enough.

The Closing Ceremony was incredible. With the spotlight on the podium, I knew as soon as I saw it, I wanted to be there and take home a medal for my country.

I waited anxiously as all the skills were called and saw my team celebrate each other’s successes and console those that didn’t make the podium.

Then my skill was announced, my eyes were glued to the screen, my ears heard only the announcer, my hands grabbed my teammates, and I waited. Bronze … Silver … Gold … WOW! They just called my name for Gold.

People were throwing the flag over my shoulders and hugging me. I ran up and jumped up on the podium this time knowing I was the best in the world, how cool is that! There were flashes everywhere and I saw my team leader beaming up at me with tears in her eyes, then I knew it was real, I did it!

Now I get to teach others how they can reach for their full WorldSkills potential. I am teaching others how to broaden their skills not only in my field but also in other areas such as beauty therapy, web design, floristry, autobody repair, fashion technology, just to name a few. I work with national competitors on visualisation exercises and enhancing the finer details of their skill. It is rewarding to still be involved in the WorldSkills movement and help future Champions on their own WorldSkills journey. Who knows, maybe I’ll try to become an Expert next, stay tuned…

We, Mono Zukuri Vocational Research Institute LLP in Japan, conducted an interview with Mr. Katsuya Yamazaki, the silver medalist of Construction Metal works of WorldSkills Calgary 2009. We learned much regarding how the vocational training and competition made him grow up.

I did not feel nervous at WorldSkills Competition. I managed to keep my motivation up for best performance. The environmental conditions at the workplace including the brightness offered by the ceiling lights and the quality of the floor were not better than expected. But I was not anxious about the proceeding of competition.

The hard vocational training which was starting from early morning to late night weekday with young colleagues selected by his company, Hitachi, Ltd., had continued for about 3 years. He sometimes felt exhausted for the duration of his training but did not think to quit it because he took this experience as an opportunity for development of his skill and mind.

I had always reminded myself of the purpose to concentrate on this training. I also understood the meaning of the result I would get.

His private time was almost carved out for this training. But he said he did not regret his choice but appreciated the opportunities to having tried the competition.

I had never undertaken this kind of important mission in my life

Hitachi, Ltd. by which Yamazaki is employed, is the one of the most famous Japanese large industrial companies which produces from IT infrastructure to power generation systems and chemical plants.

The products and systems this company provides are very huge and complicated ones compared to the work he made at the competition. Nevertheless the skills required to win the contest are the basics of today’s manufacturing and engineering which are necessary for engineer to step toward the higher level. So he is promised to be a good professional engineer or a young team leader as early as possible.

I want to become a person to be admitted as a good engineer in this company. The experience of having overcome the hard training and the pressure of the competition has built my mindset stronger so that it will be capable of solving any problem I will face in the future.

His competition was over but he has just stood at start of his long journey as a genuine engineer.

We asked Yamazaki what he experienced during WorldSkills Calgary 2009.

Each thing I have experienced through the events related to WorldSkills is a good memory for me. Especially I was impressed with the moment when the contest in which I competed had ended. Soon after finishing the competition, I felt the burden taken off my shoulders. And then we, the coaches and stuffs with me, shared the same feeling. We appreciated patience and supporting efforts made for the competition with each other.

I have never forgotten the smiley face of the foreign youth competitors who had been rivals just moment ago but turned good colleagues. That scene is the one of my happiest memories. I felt sad and almost wanted to cry when I noticed that this was the last chance to come here with these good fellows.

During my training period in Japan, I usually have few opportunities for having a conversation with foreigners who are about the same age as mine. Therefore I did not communicate well in English. But I believe that warm friendship between us was established with sharing the common experience and acting playful with them.

Many people had supported and cheered me up for participating in the contest at WorldSkills. I am very grateful to them and want to recompense that. I think that this kind of appreciation evoked in my heart suggested my psychological maturation through the experience acquired during the competition.

Have you asked yourself, “What do I want to do with my life?”

I can well understand that junior and senior high school students in Japan often struggle with deciding what they are supposed to do to realize their dream.

The main reason I chose the technical high school was the famousness of student clubs and activities at the school which I entered, not because I wanted to learn the vocational skills regarding manufacturing. I did not even think myself worthy to compete at WorldSkills unless I entered that school. But the lecture and class made me interested in creating something. Also I learned the things about WorldSkills as well. I assumed that I would not have had a curiosity about manufacturing if I had never experienced with learning that. Thus if you have not yet had a dream then you should start to try practicing anything you learn.

Does effort eventually pay off?

What interests me most about WorldSkills is that this event gives any youth people opportunities to compete with their same generation in the world. And you have possibilities to be awarded.

Being a member of the delegate of competition team is not privilege given only to talented people. I think it is not necessarily to have a special talent to enter the skill contest. I know my colleagues who have better skills than I have. In spite of that, I could attain the permission to enter the competition.

A person who makes an effort without thinking whether he/she has a talent or not seems to be rewarded for as much as the effort. The more you make an effort, the closer you reach the top. I could not be awarded the gold medal. But the scene I saw from the stage at the medal ceremony was the most brilliant one that I had ever experienced.

An abridged version of my speech at the commencement of our 60th Anniversary General Assembly meeting in Kingston.

Dear Colleagues, dear friends

Tribute to our founder

In 1946 Francisco Albert Vidal began a voyage of discovery entrusted to him by the head of Spain’s National Youth Organization, with the mission to;

Fill youth with enthusiasm through special action! Convince young people’s parents, trainers and company chiefs that a promising future is possible only through good vocational education.

And so the first international vocational training competition took place in Madrid in 1950 between Spain and Portugal attended by observers from around Europe. The “Youth Skill Olympics” was born, and became Albert Vidal’s life’s work. First, as Secretary General for 33 years, and a further 7 years as President. He shaped our organization into the remarkable world-wide movement that it is today, and passionately espoused its values which we proudly continue to uphold. Values such as;

supporting all our Members to compete on a level playing field.

enabling all our young competitors to do their best without regard to their gender, nationality, or religion.

embracing excellence, innovation and creativity, and a respect for the diversity of languages and cultures.

Our WorldSkills values define the spirit of WorldSkills. A spirit, that I believe, is stronger than ever in our rapidly growing WorldSkills family.

We all have a story

Of course each one of us has a compelling story to tell of the growth and success of your own country’s skills efforts. How at each of our Competitions standards are raised, new benchmarks are set and the competitiveness becomes more intense. And how the young people and their teachers bring home with them experience and motivation to help raise skill levels higher.

I’m very proud that WorldSkills now provides a representative voice for our young skill champions through the Youth Forum. The third Forum is underway here in Jamaica. I know we will be very stimulated and challenged by their ideas and recommendations later in the week. (And indeed we were!) We also know from our young champions that skills development and personal growth through the competition experience helps them to realise their dreams.

Let me show a short film of one such dream of our WorldSkills Global Ambassador – Marcos Pontes Brazil’s first astronaut – who was planning to be with us in person here in Jamaica but was unable to make it at the last moment.

To strengthen the global image of WorldSkills and unify our Members’ individual efforts, we agreed in Helsinki in 2005 to present ourselves under the new WorldSkills brand which we first launched in the year 2000. I am delighted to report that each of the four regional skill competitions -EuroSkills, Gulf Skills, ASEAN Skills and WorldSkills Americas – have seen the value of now adopting our WorldSkills brand as part of their own development. I would like to stress that having a brand strategy is not an exercise in ego, but a powerful marketing tool to gain recognition for and engagement with WorldSkills in a crowded marketplace of competing ideas and causes. I’ve been particularly impressed by the way Jamaica has so effectively adopted the WorldSkills branding since they joined our organisation in 2004.

Our growing membership

I believe we can expect that WorldSkills will have at least 70 Members by 2020. We have achieved a threefold increase in our membership over the past 30 years, and a third of our Members have joined WorldSkills in the last decade alone. This is testimony to the growing realization that a highly skilled workforce underpins the strength of any nation. And we can all be proud that WorldSkills is playing a growingly important part in that realization. Our 60 years of hard work, development and success is a great legacy to have as we face the future.

Key opportunities and challenges

We have warmly welcomed China as a Member of WorldSkills. This is a big step on the path to us becoming a global organization with all the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead. So what are some of these opportunities and challenges? Here are some examples from our “2020 Vision”.

Making the Competition more sustainable

Sharing our skills knowledge and expertise more widely and effectively

Ensuring there is a mutual understanding and a close collaboration between WorldSkills International and the proposed WorldSkills Foundation for the benefit of all Members and stakeholders

Developing the WorldSkills brand to attract more members, sponsors and partners.

Global Industry Partners

Before the year 2000, WorldSkills relied on membership fees alone. In 2010 more than 20% of our annual budget comes from the financial contributions of our 8 – now to be 10 – global industry partners. Their financial and in kind contributions have enabled us to strengthen our organization which, in turn, has enabled us to greatly improve the Competition and give more added value to our Members, our various stakeholders and our target audiences. It is a measure of WorldSkills stature that global companies of the calibre of our Global Industry Partners are choosing to align with our vision and mission. Collectively, they see WorldSkills as a powerful means to value skills as a new global currency. A currency of best practices and standards that can be leveraged in all industry sectors around the world. High quality skill formation is only possible through close cooperation and action between Education and Industry, and this cooperation, I believe, is at the very heart of WorldSkills success.

Our Improved Capability

It was only in 2005 that we gained the services of a full time CEO since after Albert Vidal retired as Secretary General. David Hoey’s appointment has been vital to the effective management of our organization. He, and his expert team, and their use of the latest information technologies in all aspects of our operations, gave us the extra capability to surpass the targets set in our first 10 year plan. Our secretariat now has the “know how” to enable future Competition events to be more cost effective and to provide high quality services to our Members and stakeholders, through partnership with the host of our Competition.

I think we can all be proud of what we have achieved together over the past decade, and I thank each delegate and honorary Member, past and present, for your commitment and support.

Our new ten year plan

Now we have a new 10 year plan to discuss and agree on in Kingston. The Strategy Committee has been involved during the meetings in Vienna and in Calgary. And like a decade ago, a Board Working Group, hand in hand with David Hoey, has been the inspiration behind our 2020 Vision, and I want to recognize them all for their contributions. When the Board Working Group determined that the creation of the WorldSkills Foundation was the best means to develop an advocacy and education arm of WorldSkills, they also saw it as the best way to maintain our primary focus on the development of the Competition.

Let me explain that the English term “advocacy” simply means, “actively supporting an idea or a cause”. Our cause is to promote skills across the world. It’s our brand purpose.

As a separate legal entity, the WorldSkills Foundation will be able to enter into partnerships with international companies, educational institutions and other bodies interested in supporting our advocacy and education goals beyond the Competition. We will ensure alignment between WorldSkills International and the WorldSkills Foundation through our shared vision and mission and integrated governance, while enabling the Foundation to have the flexibility to innovate and explore opportunities outside the Competition. The Foundation’s partnership projects will target a range of issues of interest and concern to all Members.

For example, vocational education and training is poorly developed on the African continent with few countries participating in WorldSkills. One of our provisional foundation partners is keen to find ways to help improve this, as of course are all Members and stakeholders of WorldSkills.

The Foundation concept has been explored with a number of interested partners, and we have received provisional commitments from different parts of the world for the necessary start up funding for 3 years. Importantly, both industry and education will be represented among the founding partners.

The Foundation will not draw from the budget of WorldSkills International. On the contrary, the Foundation will allow us to draw on resources that would not otherwise come to the Competition. This will help to enhance our non-competition activities. And as WorldSkills International ultimately owns the Foundation we can ensure it stays aligned to our vision and mission. A grant of $50,000 from the Legacy Fund of WorldSkills Calgary 2009 will allow us to constitute the Foundation.

Summary of our 2020 vision

To summarise, our 2020 Vision has three key objectives:

To build up WorldSkills International as a strong global organisation able to improve the quality and sustainability of all aspects of the Competition

To reduce costs, improve efficiencies and increase the benefits of participation for all our stakeholders

To launch, through the WorldSkills Foundation, a program of advocacy and education to help us achieve our vision and mission.

In closing, I’m very pleased to reaffirm that Spain, the founder of WorldSkills, has made the offer to host the WorldSkills Foundation in Madrid, contribute to the legal establishment costs and provide the services of a Secretary to the Foundation. With this offer, Spain is helping to provide a second platform of exploration and discovery that will complement the one it launched 60 years ago.

As Members of our global skills family we provide the means to bring out the very best for the individual, for enterprise and society. Working together, under the WorldSkills flag, with a shared vision of a more sustainable world where people can achieve the workplace skills they need to prosper and find fulfillment.

Dear Colleagues, I ask you to support the Board’s 2020 Vision, and over the next few days share your ideas about how that vision can be best achieved and implemented.

Tjerk Dusseldorp

NOTE: The GA unanimously endorsed the 2020 Vision and the formation of the WorldSkills Foundation.